June 22, 2011 5:24pm EDTJune 22, 2011 5:03pm EDTJohn Calipari says that if the NCAA were to consider paying college athletes, there would likely need to be a major realignment.

Staff report

Published on Jun. 22, 2011

Jun. 22, 2011

With conference commissioners speaking publicly about how to possibly pay college football and basketball players, Kentucky coach John Calipari says the only way that would be feasible is if "the haves" break apart from the "have nots."

Not that he is in favor of such a drastic change in college sports, but Calipari says the only way to pay living expenses for players would be to create four super-conferences and then jettison the teams who can't afford the high costs back to Division II or some other lower level of competition.

"My thing was, there's only one way you can do this," Calipari said Wednesday on Kentucky Sports Radio. "This is the only way I can see it. You have four super-conferences. A West Coast conference with 16 or 18 teams; a northern conference, you know, where the Big Ten area, of 16 or 18 teams; a southern conference, like the SEC teams, 16 or 18 teams; and an eastern conference like the ACC teams, that have 16 or 18 teams in them.

"Now, I say 16 or 18 because you could (have) 64 or 72 (teams) and be fine. Because, in football, you'd have nine in each division. They have a playoff championship in their league, the four leagues. Those four winners would be semifinalists for the football championship, and then there'd be a national title game, and the others would play in the bowls. All that television, all that revenue goes back to the 64 or 72 teams -- only those teams. Then you have a basketball tournament with those teams. Those 64 or 72 are in the tournament. Everybody's team is in the tournament."